The 2022–23 Iraqi Second Division League was the 49th season of what is now called the Iraqi First Division League, the third tier of the Iraqi football league system, since its establishment in 1974. The number of clubs in the league has varied throughout history for various reasons; in this season the number of clubs was 98 (in addition to 26 pre-qualified teams from the previous season, playing starting from the second round, so the total is 124 teams). The top four teams (top 2 teams in each group) in the Final Qualifiers were promoted directly to the second tier, while teams that fail to qualify for the second round and finish in the bottom positions in the group ranking table will be relegated directly to the third tier. The season started on 1 December 2022.
In the Ultimate competing round of the league, in the group 1, Al-Karma and Al-Gharraf were able to top the group after each of them achieved 19 points, while in the group 2, Ghaz Al-Shamal and Al-Fahad topped the group after each of them achieved 22 points. All four teams were promoted to the second tier.
It was decided on August 6, to hold the final match to determine the league champion, between the leaders of the group 1, Al-Karma, and the leaders of the group 2, Ghaz Al-Shamal.
The final match was held at Al-Shaab Stadium in Baghdad, and Al-Karma was able to beat Ghaz Al-Shamal by penalty kicks (4–3) after the end of the regular time of the match, with the two teams drawing (1–1).
Team changes The following teams have changed division since the 2021–22 season:
To Iraqi Second Division League
Promoted from Third Division League Abnaa Al-Madina Al-Amir Al-Aziziya Al-Chibayish Al-Dair Al-Falluja Al-Ghadeer Al-Gharraf Al-Hadbaa Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi Al-Intifadha Al-Ishaqi Al-Iskan Al-Izza Al-Jawhara Al-Karma Al-Mahanawiya Al-Mahawil Al-Maqal Al-Osra Al-Shabab Al-Basri Al-Shaheed Arkan Al-Siyaha Al-Tijara Al-Wajihiya Al-Zaytoun Al-Zubaidiya Aliyat Al-Shorta Anah Habbaniyat Al-Sumood Jenaain Babil Kafaat Nineveh Masafi Al-Shamal Naft Al-Shamal Qandeel Taza
Relegated from the First Division League Al-Alam Babil Ghaz Al-Shamal Suq Al-Shuyukh
From Second Division League
Promoted to the First Division League Al-Etisalat Al-Hawija Al-Jolan Masafi Al-Wasat
Relegated to Third Division League Al-Ahrar Al-Amara Al-Anbar Al-Hamza Al-Husseiniyah Al-Khairat Al-Fosfat Al-Madhatyia Al-Mohandessin Al-Sadda Al-Taliea Al-Zaeem Baladiyat Al-Nasiriyah Bilad Al-Rafidain Daquq Ghaz Al-Janoob Jalawla Kahrabaa Al-Hartha Khallat New Sirwan Peshwa Salahaddin Sarchinar Shabab Al-Adil Tarmi Umm Qasr
Competition format
Schedule The Iraqi Second Division League starts with 98 clubs and ends with four qualified clubs according to three rounds, The teams that qualified for the second round last season and the teams that were relegated from the Iraqi First Division League in the 2021–22 season moved directly to play in the second round.
Round Stage Main date Participating teams Qualified teams Qualify for 1st In-governorates qualifiers 1 December 2022 98 27 In-territories qualifiers 2nd In-territories qualifiers 31 March 2023 53 12 Final qualifiers 3rd Final qualifiers 9 June 2023 12 4 Promotion to the Iraqi First Division League
First round The 98 clubs are divided into 16 groups depending on the location, except for the groups of Dohuk and Erbil, each group representing the governorate to which these clubs belong and is located within its borders.
1- Dohuk Group There are no teams in Dohuk that play in this division.
2- Nineveh Group
3- Erbil Group There are no teams in Erbil that play in this division.
4- Kirkuk Group
5- Sulaymaniyah Group
6- Saladin Group
7- Al-Anbar Group
8- Baghdad Groups
Group 1
Group 2
9- Diyala Group
10- Karbalaa Group
11- Babil Group
12- Wasit Groups
Group 1
Group 2
13- Al-Najaf Group
14- Al-Qādisiyyah Group
15- Maysan Group
16- Al-Muthanna Group
17- Dhi Qar Group
18- Basra Group
Qualified teams The 26 pre-qualified teams and the 27 teams coming from the first round are all divided into five groups by location, and these groups have sub-groups. The first from each group is considered a winner, the winning teams advance directly to the third round.
Rank Groups Governorates Winners teams Pre-qualified teams1Northern GroupDohukShekhanNinevehBaladiyat Al-Mosul Al-HadbaaAl-Amwaj Al-Mosuli Al-MosulErbilArarat HandrenKirkuk Musalla Naft Al-ShamalGhaz Al-ShamalSulaymaniyah SulaymaniyaBaban2Western GroupSaladinMasafi Al-Shamal Al-IshaqiAl-AlamAl-Anbar Al-Fahad Al-Karma[a]Al-SufiyaDiyala Jadidat Al-ShattAl-Khalis Balad Ruz3Baghdad GroupBaghdadAl-Hashd Al-Shaabi Al-Mahmoudiya Al-Taji Al-Tijara Aliyat Al-Shorta HaifaAl-Kadhimiya Al-Khutoot Al-Jawiya Al-Sikak Al-Zafaraniya4Central Euphrates GroupKarbalaaAl-OsraAl-GhadhriyaBabilAl-JawharaAl-KiflAl-NajafAl-IzdiharAl-QādisiyyahAl-EttifaqAl BdeirAl-MuthannaUrukAl-Khidhir5Southern GroupWasitAl-Hay Al-KutAl-Numaniya Al-SuwairaMaysanQalat SalehAl-SukarDhi QarAl-GharrafAl-Furat Suq Al-ShuyukhBasraAl-Sadeq SafwanAl-Qurna Al-Zubair [a] Al-Karma replaced Al-Habbaniya.
Second round The draw for the Central Euphrates Group and Southern Group regions was held on February 21, 2023, and the Western Group on February 22, while the Northern Group draw was held in February 25. Northern section Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Western section Group 1
Group 2
Baghdad section Group 1
Group 2
Central Euphrates section Group 1
Group 2
Southern section Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Third round The twelve qualified teams have been divided into two groups, and the first two teams from each group will be promoted to Iraqi First Division League, and the draw took place on May 30, 2023.
After the lottery was drawn between the qualified teams, Al-Qurna was replaced by Al-Kut, due to the appeal decision issued by the Football Association, as Al-Kut considered a winner over Suq Al-Shuyukh with a score 3–0 instead of the draw result with which the match ended, and thus Al-Kut has got on 13 points ahead of Al-Qurna who has 12 points.
Ultimate competing teams
TeamManagerLocationStadiumCapacityAl-Fahad Anmar SalamAl-Anbar Al-Ramadi Stadium15,000Al-Furat Nayef FalahDhi Qar Suq Al-Shuyukh Stadium5,000 Al-Gharraf Moayad TaumaDhi Qar Al-Shatra Stadium7,500 Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi Azhar TaherBaghdad Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium5,150Al-Jawhara Qahtan Dakhel Babil Al-Hashimiya Stadium5,000Al-Karma Shaker Mohammed SabbarAl-Anbar Al-Fallujah Stadium7,000Al-Kifl Nadhim HusseinBabil Al-Kifl Stadium8,000Al-Kut Haider IbrahimWasit Al-Kut Olympic Stadium20,000Al-Mosul Ziyad MahmoudNinevehMosul University Stadium20,000Al-Taji Zuhair Abdul-RidhaBaghdad Al-Taji Stadium5,000Ghaz Al-Shamal Natiq HaddadKirkuk Ghaz Al-Shamal Stadium5,000Naft Al-Shamal Ahmed HabibKirkuk Khak Stadium5,000
Final Qualifiers
Group 1 <onlyinclude>
Group 2 <onlyinclude>
Final
GK 32 Omar Abboud RB29 Sajjad DeabesCB 37 Ziyad KhalafCB 4 Anaid ShaabanLB 66 Koran EmadCM 8 Ali NajemCM 77 Abdullah SarbastCM 6 Gehad AbdulrabRF 7 Ibrahim KhaledCF 11 Ali Sulayman LF 21 Hussein YasserManager: Shaker Mohammed Sabbar
GK 37 Abdullah HamadRB 70 Abdul-Muhaimen Abdullah CB 23 Laith JalilCB 3 Hussein JamalLB 17 Omar TariqCM 88 Ahmed Hussein CM 25 Aassi SultanCM 9 Ahmed KhalafRF 7 Ayad Khalaf CF 10 Yasser NajiLF 18 Mustafa BrishoManager: Natiq Haddad
Match officials Assistant referees: Safin Qader Thul-Faqar Khalil Fourth official: Ahmed Ali Talib
Match rules 90 minutes. Penalty shootout if scores still level. Maximum of five substitutions
Final qualifiers statistics
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Ahmed MahoodAl-Furat7 Ahmed RahimAl-Hashd Al-Shaabi3 Abbas RaysanAl-Gharraf6 Yasser NajiGhaz Al-Shamal Hussein ShararAl-Kifl Serri JamalAl-Fahad7 Ali SulaymanAl-Karma5 Dana KameranNaft Al-Shamal9 Ali KowtiAl-Gharraf4 Ibrahim KhaledAl-Karma Ali FadhelAl-Gharraf
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Serri Jamal4Al-FahadAl-Jawhara5–2 (H)22 June 2023 Hussein ShararAl-KiflAl-Karma3–0 (H)2 July 2023 Ahmed MahoodAl-FuratAl-Kut3–2 (H)18 July 2023
Notes 4 Player scored 4 goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team
References
External links Iraq Football Association